Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in California
debt consolidation
I have many credit card bills. I want to know if it's a good idea to work with the credit card debt consolidation companies. They claim that they can negotiate with my lenders to cut down my bill by up to 50%, lower the interest rates, and still won't ruin my credit in any way. As a matter of fact, it's the other way around. Is any of these statements true? Or should I get a loan with low interest rates from a bank and consolidate all my bills that way. What do you recommend? Thanks so much for your response.
3 Answers from Attorneys
Re: debt consolidation
Some of the companies that claim they "negotiate with your creditors" are total scams. If you can obtain a loan from a bank, this might be a good way to go. Check out creditboards.com and suzeorman.com .
Re: debt consolidation
If you want to negotiate with the credit card companies, do it yourself. Do not hire a company to do it. The credit card companies will work with you if you explain your problem.
Re: debt consolidation
As many of the attorneys who work on behalf of consumers can attest, I have heard of nothing but bad experiences with these types of companies. If you choose this route, be very careful and do your research.
Best of luck to you.
-Bryan